Le Château de La Ballue
Guest House in Brittany
A charming hotel near Mont Saint Michel
Between Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, between Brittany and Normandy, in an exceptional rural landscape of gentle hills and forests, close to a wild and unspoilt coastline, this pure 17th century château, a historic monument, welcomes you to its 5 prestigious guest rooms for a refined and unforgettable stay between Saint-Malo and Mont Saint-Michel. It also owes its fame to its gardens and the celebrities who have stayed there.
Prestigious guests: Balzac, Chateaubriand, Musset, Victor Hugo, Marquis de la Rouërie, Florence Arthaud, Michel Couchat, Jacky Coville, J.M. Queneau, Monory, Michel Lanos, Rosita S. Dewez, Tapiès, Tal-Coat, Pierre Troisgros, Simon Barto, Karine Deshayes...
Un lieu chargé d'histoire
Château de la Ballue is a place steeped in history from the Middle Ages to the present day
A FORTRESS IN THE MARCHES OF BRITTANY
La Ballue, in the commune of Bazouges-la-Pérouse, is one of the countless castles that have been dotted around Brittany since the end of the 10th century, accompanying the emergence of feudal society.
This seigneury was created by grouping together lands belonging to two large seigneuries: the barony of Fougères and the seigneury of Dol. This gave it a strategic position, acting as a buffer between these rival territories. In a broader sense, its location also placed the fortress of La Ballue in the Marches de Bretagne, making it one of the duchy's defence points against the kingdom of France.
One of the remarkable things about this seigneury is that it remained in the possession of the same family, the Chesnels, for several centuries. These were important people, close to the Ducal House of Brittany.
Nothing is known about the original fortress. At the end of the Middle Ages, it was a classic castle for its time, with a dwelling flanked by a tower, which was probably a staircase tower, a fortified entrance flanked by two towers and preceded by a drawbridge, and a wall comprising 4 towers preceded by ditches. There were also aristocratic features such as a dovecote and two chapels.
GILLES DE RUELLAN'S 17TH CENTURY CHÂTEAU
The purchase of the seigneury by Gilles Ruellan in 1615 was a major turning point in the history of the château. An adventurer who became rich through arms dealing during the wars of the League, he became Fermier Général of Brittany, responsible for collecting taxes for the King. In his quest for noble legitimacy, the purchase of the seigneury of La Ballue enabled him to lay claim to the marquisate. This social ascent was also reflected in the architecture, giving the château a unique character. Gilles Ruellan rebuilt the castle but, in order to establish his noble legitimacy in stone as part of a long line of noblemen, he retained some important elements. The foundations of the medieval building were preserved and served as the foundation for his new home. He built a sober, unostentatious residence in several successive campaigns, the traces of which are still visible in the building.
The main façade was built between 1615 and 1620. The organisation of the property shows the changes that have taken place since the Middle Ages. The dwelling is preceded by a ceremonial courtyard and extended by classical gardens. A garden known as the "orangery garden" suggests that a greenhouse was built to grow fruit or exotic plants, adding to the prestige of the property. The outbuildings are particularly well-developed around two secondary courtyards, one of which is known as the lower courtyard.
The exterior, with its classical layout and the cutting edge of modernity at the time, was not ostentatious, as Gilles Ruellan wanted to blend in with the privileged class without arousing the hostility of the old nobility, who were often on the verge of impoverishment.
It was a prosperous and prestigious seigneury. La Ballue became a marquisate in 1622 and, in 1653, it was enlarged by the incorporation of the seigneury of Boulande into its domain. It was then a considerable estate. The seigniorial estate managed directly by its owner, with the castle, covered around 43 hectares, while the land belonging to his vassals, nobles and commoners, on which he received a comfortable feudal income, covered more than 890 hectares.
The french revolution
The château remained a focal point for the nobility throughout the Ancien Régime. When the revolutionaries challenged this world of privilege, the Marquis de la Ballue emigrated in 1793 and his steward Colin de la Contrie made the château one of the focal points of the anti-revolutionary struggle until 1796. As a lieutenant of the Marquis de La Rouerie, he played an active part in the Breton Conjuration, which the latter led in 1792-1793.
Writers such as Alfred de Musset spent varying lengths of time here, in memory of this period, which was very popular during the Romantic period. Honoré de Balzac drew inspiration from the area for his novel Les Chouans. In 1834, Victor Hugo, accompanied by Juliette Drouet, wrote the first notes of his novel Quatre-vingt-treize.
A GLASSWORKS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
After becoming national property and being sold during the Revolution, the château was bought by René-Mathurin Laumailler. In 1820, he was authorised to set up a glassworks specialising in goblets and chemical vases. In 1832, he joined forces with the Leclerc brothers, who bought the site. In 1857, it employed 68 workers, making it the largest glassworks in Brittany, but it seems to have disappeared after 1866. La Ballue then became a major rural estate, which was gradually dismembered by successive sales of parts of its estate in the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
The 20th century and the "rebirth"
During the Second World War, the Château de la Ballue hid young Jewish and Catholic girls led by the Scout movement in 39-40, and then served as a refuge for the Moka school in Saint-Malo, which feared the German bombardments. The rescue and renaissance of Château de la Ballue and its gardens began in 1973, thanks to the arrival of publisher Madame Claude Arthaud. She began restoring the château and had it protected as a historic monument, creating exceptional gardens that are now also historic monuments. She welcomed writers and artists here until 1989. Other owners took over, continuing to embellish and enliven it, until the arrival in 20005 of those who are still there today.
A FORTRESS IN THE MARCHES OF BRITTANY
La Ballue, in the commune of Bazouges-la-Pérouse, is one of the countless castles that have been dotted around Brittany since the end of the 10th century, accompanying the emergence of feudal society.
This seigneury was created by grouping together lands belonging to two large seigneuries: the barony of Fougères and the seigneury of Dol. This gave it a strategic position, acting as a buffer between these rival territories. In a broader sense, its location also placed the fortress of La Ballue in the Marches de Bretagne, making it one of the duchy's defence points against the kingdom of France.
One of the remarkable things about this seigneury is that it remained in the possession of the same family, the Chesnels, for several centuries. These were important people, close to the Ducal House of Brittany.
Nothing is known about the original fortress. At the end of the Middle Ages, it was a classic castle for its time, with a dwelling flanked by a tower, which was probably a staircase tower, a fortified entrance flanked by two towers and preceded by a drawbridge, and a wall comprising 4 towers preceded by ditches. There were also aristocratic features such as a dovecote and two chapels.
GILLES DE RUELLAN'S 17TH CENTURY CHÂTEAU
The purchase of the seigneury by Gilles Ruellan in 1615 was a major turning point in the history of the château. An adventurer who became rich through arms dealing during the wars of the League, he became Fermier Général of Brittany, responsible for collecting taxes for the King. In his quest for noble legitimacy, the purchase of the seigneury of La Ballue enabled him to lay claim to the marquisate. This social ascent was also reflected in the architecture, giving the château a unique character. Gilles Ruellan rebuilt the castle but, in order to establish his noble legitimacy in stone as part of a long line of noblemen, he retained some important elements. The foundations of the medieval building were preserved and served as the foundation for his new home. He built a sober, unostentatious residence in several successive campaigns, the traces of which are still visible in the building.
The main façade was built between 1615 and 1620. The organisation of the property shows the changes that have taken place since the Middle Ages. The dwelling is preceded by a ceremonial courtyard and extended by classical gardens. A garden known as the "orangery garden" suggests that a greenhouse was built to grow fruit or exotic plants, adding to the prestige of the property. The outbuildings are particularly well-developed around two secondary courtyards, one of which is known as the lower courtyard.
The exterior, with its classical layout and the cutting edge of modernity at the time, was not ostentatious, as Gilles Ruellan wanted to blend in with the privileged class without arousing the hostility of the old nobility, who were often on the verge of impoverishment.
It was a prosperous and prestigious seigneury. La Ballue became a marquisate in 1622 and, in 1653, it was enlarged by the incorporation of the seigneury of Boulande into its domain. It was then a considerable estate. The seigniorial estate managed directly by its owner, with the castle, covered around 43 hectares, while the land belonging to his vassals, nobles and commoners, on which he received a comfortable feudal income, covered more than 890 hectares.
The french revolution
The château remained a focal point for the nobility throughout the Ancien Régime. When the revolutionaries challenged this world of privilege, the Marquis de la Ballue emigrated in 1793 and his steward Colin de la Contrie made the château one of the focal points of the anti-revolutionary struggle until 1796. As a lieutenant of the Marquis de La Rouerie, he played an active part in the Breton Conjuration, which the latter led in 1792-1793.
Writers such as Alfred de Musset spent varying lengths of time here, in memory of this period, which was very popular during the Romantic period. Honoré de Balzac drew inspiration from the area for his novel Les Chouans. In 1834, Victor Hugo, accompanied by Juliette Drouet, wrote the first notes of his novel Quatre-vingt-treize.
A GLASSWORKS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
After becoming national property and being sold during the Revolution, the château was bought by René-Mathurin Laumailler. In 1820, he was authorised to set up a glassworks specialising in goblets and chemical vases. In 1832, he joined forces with the Leclerc brothers, who bought the site. In 1857, it employed 68 workers, making it the largest glassworks in Brittany, but it seems to have disappeared after 1866. La Ballue then became a major rural estate, which was gradually dismembered by successive sales of parts of its estate in the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
The 20th century and the "rebirth"
During the Second World War, the Château de la Ballue hid young Jewish and Catholic girls led by the Scout movement in 39-40, and then served as a refuge for the Moka school in Saint-Malo, which feared the German bombardments. The rescue and renaissance of Château de la Ballue and its gardens began in 1973, thanks to the arrival of publisher Madame Claude Arthaud. She began restoring the château and had it protected as a historic monument, creating exceptional gardens that are now also historic monuments. She welcomed writers and artists here until 1989. Other owners took over, continuing to embellish and enliven it, until the arrival in 20005 of those who are still there today.
A family spirit
A historic family home, Château de La Ballue has been elegantly restored and decorated in a spirit of authenticity in perfect harmony with today's tastes. This prestigious location is an ideal base for exploring the Emerald Coast, discovering small villages, nature walks and the towns of Dinan, Dinard, Cancale, Combourg, Fougères and Saint-Malo.
Since 2005, Marie-Françoise and her family have been welcoming you to a comfortable, light-filled setting that has stood the test of 4 centuries of history. Ideal for a romantic weekend between Brittany and Normandy, at the gateway to Mont Saint Michel, the Combourg’s castle and the ramparts of Saint-Malo.
Since 2005, Marie-Françoise and her family have been welcoming you to a comfortable, light-filled setting that has stood the test of 4 centuries of history. Ideal for a romantic weekend between Brittany and Normandy, at the gateway to Mont Saint Michel, the Combourg’s castle and the ramparts of Saint-Malo.
